Can a Demon Become an Angel?
by phantomthief1412
Summary: REFORMATTED! *I don't own DC or anything related to it.* Shiho Miyano has created the antidote for APTX-4869. After taking the antidote, she unknowingly falls back into her old life. Will she ever know anything but cruelty, terror and violence?
1. The Girl with Red Hair

"Shinichi, thank you! I've had so much fun today!" Ran Mouri said to her childhood friend, thinking how great it was that Shinichi was finally back. He had been gone for so long, and sometimes she had really wondered if he would come back at all. But Shinichi was back now, and that was all that mattered. Or was it? Her smiling face was replaced by a thoughtful expression as she wondered about the little boy that had lived at her house, Conan Edogawa. Sometimes he had acted so much like Shinichi that she had believed Conan was Shinichi. But every time she had enough proof to confirm that he was, something had popped up to prove her wrong. The night Shinichi had disappeared, Conan had popped up at his house, and now that Shinichi had returned, it was Conan who was missing. But after her school play, she had seen Shinichi and Conan together. Conan acted a little weird then, but he had been sick.

" There's no way, right? There can't be, can there?" Ran mused.

" Ran? What are you talking about?" Shinichi inquired, looking at Ran curiously.

" Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Haven't you had fun today?" Ran asked, giving Shinichi a bright smile.

" Yes, you're right. It really has been fun." Shinichi nodded and grinned at Ran. The two of them had spent the day together at Tropical Land, even though Shinichi had felt a little nervous about returning to Tropical Land at first, nothing had happened. He was fine, there had been no sign of anyone in the Organization, and he and Ran had had a wonderful day together, and now they were waiting for a train at the train station so they could go home.

Shinichi's grin didn't assuage Ran's doubts. In fact, it only made her wonder more if he was keeping a secret from her. He wouldn't give her any details about what had happened. When she asked about the case he had solved, he never wanted to talk about it, either. He acted as though he had forgotten everything that had happened during that period of time. Well, either that or it was a big secret he didn't want to talk about. What had happened to him? And where was Conan anyway? People didn't disappear into thin air the way Shinichi and Conan did. It just wasn't logical. Ran looked at Shinichi and saw that he was still grinning widely at her. She temporarily tucked back her doubts, fears, and worries. She smiled at Shinichi again and began a constant stream of chatter about things that had happened during the day to entertain him.

Shinichi nodded as he Ran talked to him. It was good to be back, good to be Shinichi Kudo again. It was nice to be able to reach doorbells, nice not to have to always carry the voice changing bow tie, nice to be with Ran and all his other friends, and nice not to be in elementary school repeating first grade. He continued thinking these thoughts and listening to Ran, then someone behind Ran caught his eye.

It was Ai. At first, Shinichi wasn't sure if it really was her, but no one else could have that red blonde hair. He only saw her from the back, but he was positive. Shinichi's eyes widened, and ¡¥Ai¡¦ was on the tip of his tongue, but he said nothing because Ran was there. He had never told Ran about being Conan, even after he was back. He knew the Organization was still out there, and it was too dangerous.

At the sight of Ai, Shinichi's mind was filled with questions and memories. Ai had grown too, she was Shiho again, but Shinichi just remembered the girl he had gone to school with when he was Conan. He realized that he knew nothing about Ai when she had been Shiho. In his mind, he saw Ai's first day at school, Ai pretending to be Conan, Ai holding the papion dog, Doyle. Where had she been? One afternoon he had gone to Professor Agasa's house to call Ran as Shinichi, and Ai hadn't been there. The Professor had given him a pill, telling him Ai had left it for him, that she had found the antidote for APTX-4869. It had worked, and Ai was a teenage girl again. He had asked the Professor where Ai was, but the Professor hadn't known. All Professor Agasa could tell him was that Ai had told him there were some things she wanted to do, and had given him the pill to give to Shinichi. Shinichi had never seen Ai again, until today.

" Shinichi? Shinichi, are you okay? Come on, hurry. The train's here! What's wrong with you?" Ran dragged Shinichi out of his thoughts; and dragged him onto the train.

Just before the doors of the train slid shut, the girl with the red hair turned around and saw Shinichi. Her eyes widened, and an odd expression appeared on her face. The train pulled out of the station, and the girl followed it with her eyes.

In the train, Shinichi looked out the window and looked at her, until the girl with red hair was almost invisible and the red hair was only a small dot on the window. He wished he could talk to her, but the train kept moving until even the speck of red vanished from his view. 

The girl with the red hair was Ai, but if Shinichi saw her now, he probably wouldn't have recognized her. As she stared after the train, Ai's eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open. She wasn't cool, calm, or collected. In fact, she looked almost idiotic.


	2. A Woman Without Memories

Shiho Miyano continued to stare at the train as it sped away from her, down the track towards the horizon, until it seemed to merge into the setting sun. A warm wind gently pulled and tugged at her silky, red blonde hair, and the sun's rays danced lightly on her smooth, creamy cheeks. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were wide as they followed the train. She struggled to keep her eyes open as her hair brushed against her forehead. Her blue eyes obeyed for a few more seconds, then her eyelids dropped down and rested lightly on her cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, the train was gone, and she found herself gazing at the setting sun in confusion.

The wind continued to play with her hair as it floated by her ears. It seemed to be blowing and whispering questions to the baffled girl. She didn't know why, but seeing that dark haired boy had given her an overwhelming feeling, making her helpless with emotion as questions swirled inside her head.

Only a few minutes ago, she had been calmly waiting for her train at the train station. Before the last train had pulled away, she had felt an irresistible urge to turn around, almost as if an invisible hand was pulling her, forcing her to turn around and look the other way. Then, she'd seen that boy. The one with the dark black hair. Black hair. Black hair and blue eyes. Yes, blue eyes. She hadn't seen them, yet she was sure the eyes were blue. She hadn't seen his face, yet she knew how he looked. Why?

" Why?" Shiho asked herself, biting her lip in frustration. " Why, why, why?"

She stood still, unmoving, as her red gold hair continued to dance and flutter around her face. She clasped her hands tightly together and squeezed her eyes shut, praying that somehow, something would happen, and she would remember the things that had happened to her in the past. She concentrated and prayed with every fiber of her body, but nothing happened. When she opened her eyes, she still couldn't remember anything. She still knew nothing. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she almost cried with disappointment, but she knew tears couldn't help her.

Her train rolled past her, but she didn't get on. She didn't even notice that she had missed it. Night came, and the sky darkened, but Shiho still didn't leave. She wasn't even aware that day had changed into night. She just stood, puzzling over her life. She knew the facts about her life, but why weren't there any memories to match the facts? Why couldn't she remember anything, even when she tried? What was wrong with her?

It grew later into the night, and Shiho Miyano just stood and thought. She tried as hard as she could, but she couldn't figure anything out. Nothing about when she was little, nothing about going to school, and nothing about the dark haired boy. Who was he, anyway? The moon appeared, and the woman without a single memory stood alone in the moonlight, thinking and pondering.


	3. We Meet Again

School was over, and Shinichi was walking absently on the streets. He wasn¡¦t sure where he was going. Ran had offered to walk him home, but he¡¦d refused. He just wanted to think by himself, without any interruptions. The sun was burning brightly, sending shimmering rays of heat to the earth. The heat was almost unbearable, but it also gave Shinichi a feeling that something was going to happen. Something, but he didn¡¦t know what. However, the feeling quickly passed away as he continued to wander through the crowded, busy streets.

His thoughts were on Ai, or rather, Shiho, as he walked around people and avoided lampposts. He didn¡¦t want to bump into anything. He wondered about his friend. It was even more dangerous than it was for him to be seen on the streets. The Organization was, after all, not behind bars as they should be. They hadn¡¦t been looking for a small elementary school kid named Ai Haibara, but they were searching for a teenage girl named Shiho Miyano. Pretty, red haired girls couldn¡¦t really go unnoticed for long. She should dye that red hair. It was a shame; really, the red hair was quite attractive. At the same time, though, it attracted too much attention. He tried to imagine another hair color for Shiho, but only the red looked natural. He couldn¡¦t see Shiho without the red gold hair. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he wasn¡¦t even really looking to see where he was going anymore. His thoughts were all on Shiho, so he didn¡¦t notice that he had collided with someone until he was sprawled out on the street.

He shook his head from side to side and looked up to see whom he had run into. Beads of sweat appeared and gathered on his forehead, and his mouth grew dry, as if a sponge in his mouth had taken all the moisture away. His tongue felt like cotton as it stuck to the roof of his mouth. His blue eyes grew larger and larger as his whole body involuntarily started shaking. The person before him wore a black trench coat and a black hat. He had long yellow hair that somehow seemed to hint of darkness. A cigarette dangled on his mouth and his hand was tightly gripping something in his pocket. It was probably a gun. The person¡¦s eyes burned coldly with hatred as he glared at the boy detective. He was one of the most dangerous people Shinichi knew. The person was Gin. Shinichi had walked right into Gin. Vodka was beside him.

Gin sneered. He turned and spit the cigarette out on the sidewalk. Vodka wasn¡¦t smoking. He just stood beside Gin, grinning evilly, as usual. Gin¡¦s eyes were glowing with pleasure, as he looked at Shinichi helpless on the sidewalk. Vodka¡¦s eyes weren¡¦t visible because of the dark sunglasses he wore; however, it was obvious that Vodka wasn¡¦t saddened by the turn of events.

¡§ We meet again, great detective.¡¨ Gin said in his cool, icy voice. He had removed his hand from his pocket and was patting his pocket with an evil grin to tell Shinichi that there was a gun there. Shinichi was not surprised.

¡§ G¡KGin.¡¨ Shinichi gasped. He asked himself why he hadn¡¦t watched where he was going. He knew Gin wanted to kill him. Gin probably had it all figured out, even if there were a lot of people on the street. Gin would shoot him, and then he and Vodka would get away. Gin could make it look like suicide. He would just be another victim of the Black Organization.

Gin stood, debating what to do. He knew Shinichi hadn¡¦t died, but he hadn¡¦t expected to see him on the streets. He wanted to kill him, make sure he couldn¡¦t get away again, destroy him for sure. But he wasn¡¦t sure if he should. He didn¡¦t know if he could get away with it. He glanced around warily, and slowly reached for his pistol. If he didn¡¦t get rid of this annoying detective, he might never have another chance, and he was smart enough to know it.

Shinichi saw Gin hesitate, and realized that Gin was shocked to see him too. He realized that Gin wasn¡¦t sure if he should kill him or not. Shinichi saw his school bag on the ground beside him and slowly reached for it, praying that Gin wouldn¡¦t notice. Maybe he could kick it at Gin. If Gin went down, Vodka would be too worried about Gin to worry about him. Unfortunately, Gin saw him inching toward his bag. He laughed, and then kicked it farther away. Some people were giving them curious looks now, but still, no one was paying much attention. Gin¡¦s mind seems to be made up now, and he pulls the gun out of his pocket.

Vodka gasped. He wanted Shinichi dead as much as ¡§Gin did, but he wasn¡¦t as daring as Gin. Gin was definitely being too reckless. There were people around, couldn¡¦t Gin see?

¡§ Gin, there are people around, you can¡¦t shoot him here. Come on, let¡¦s go. We¡¦ll get him later.¡¨ Vodka urged, hoping that Gin would listen to him.

To Vodka¡¦s surprise, Gin put the gun back in his pocket. He wasn¡¦t an idiot. There were people around. He didn¡¦t want to think about what would happen if he were the one who caused the Organization to be known or detected.

¡§ It must be your lucky day, detective. You¡¦ll get to live a little longer. Don¡¦t even think of following us.¡¨ Gin snarled before he and vodka crossed the street.

Shinichi picked himself up, unable to believe his luck. He is unable to believe that he is still alive. He retrieved his school bag, and slung it back on his shoulder. Then he was unable to believe whom he was seeing. A red haired girl is on the street, walking in his direction. It was Shiho Miyano, the girl who had been floating in his thoughts ever since he had seen her at the train station.


	4. Who are you?

Shiho was walking down the street. She wore khaki pants and a long sleeved, dark red shirt made of a light material. She had a small black purse on her shoulder, but she didn¡¦t carry anything else. She glanced around on the street here and there, not expecting to see anyone, not looking for anything. But she found someone she knew. The boy with the dark hair was staring right at her. Blue met blue as she started back with wide eyes. Shinichi¡¦s eyes were burning brightly as they looked into Shiho¡¦s eyes, which seemed strangely empty. Her eyes reminded him of the dark, bottomless, blue oceans. Shinichi was a little puzzled. Shiho was acting a little strangely.

Shiho bit her lip. This was her second time seeing the boy with the dark hair, but she still didn¡¦t know anything about him; she still didn¡¦t remember anything about herself. She wanted to talk to that boy, to ask him questions about her that she couldn¡¦t herself. She was frightened though, she didn¡¦t know who he was, what if he wanted to kill her? Yes, someone had wanted to kill her. She was sure of that. Someone had wanted her dead. Was it this boy? She looked at him for another second, then turned around and ran like a frightened deer.

¡§ Hey, wait!¡¨ Shinichi shouted. ¡§ Come back, don¡¦t run.¡¨ He started to run after the frightened girl. Shiho ran blindly down the streets, hoping to loose Shinichi, but he kept following her. Shiho was running as fast as she could, but Shinichi kept up with her easily. Shiho ran and ran, not caring where she was going, just wanting to get rid of Shinichi. She ran for four more blocks, her feet pounding heavily on the sidewalk with each step. With each step, her feet felt heavier and heavier. Finally, she couldn¡¦t run anymore. She grabbed a lamppost and leaned against it, gasping for breath, clutching her stomach. Shinichi came running up.

¡§ Ai, what¡¦s wrong? Why¡¦d you run from me?¡¨ Shinichi asked. Why would Ai run from him? Shiho didn¡¦t say anything, she was still gasping for air. A few minutes later, she was able to breathe normally, and she turned around to face Shinichi. She was still leaning against the lamppost.

¡§Ai?¡¨ Shinichi questioned again. Shiho still didn¡¦t speak. She didn¡¦t know why he was calling her Ai, she didn¡¦t know who Ai was. Relief spread through her, he wasn¡¦t looking for her, and he didn¡¦t want to kill her.

¡§ I¡¦m not Ai, I don¡¦t know who Ai is.¡¨ Shiho told Shinichi.

¡§ What?¡¨ Shinichi exclaimed. ¡§ You don¡¦t know who Ai is?¡¨ he looked at Shiho carefully. ¡§ You¡¦re kidding, aren¡¦t you?¡¨ he asked hopefully.

Shiho shook her head. She had a blank expression on her face and Shinichi knew she wasn¡¦t lying. What had happened to her? How could she not remember being Ai? How much did she remember?

¡§Shiho?¡¨ he asked tentatively. He hoped she would remember her real name. Could emotional stress have caused her to forget about being Ai Haibara? Where had she gone after leaving the Professor¡¦s house? 

¡§ How did you know my name? Who are you?¡¨ Shiho gasped fearfully. How did that boy know her name? Who was he? Who was he?

¡§ I¡¦m Shinichi. I¡¦m Shinichi Kudo. Shiho, don¡¦t you remember me?¡¨ Shinichi prayed that she would know him. For some reason, he didn¡¦t want to be a stranger to her. ¡§Shiho?¡¨

¡§No. I don¡¦t know anyone named Shinichi Kudo.¡¨ Shiho replied. She wasn¡¦t frightened now, because she knew that if Shinichi wanted to kill her, he could have done so when she was trying to catch her breath. The questions were in her brain again. This boy obviously knew her, but why didn¡¦t she know him? Who was AI? Why did he call her Ai? Did Ai look like her? Who was Shinichi Kudo? Where had she met him before?

¡§ What about your sister? Do you remember her?¡¨ Shinichi asked. Now he just wanted to see how much she remembered.

¡§ I don¡¦t have a sister.¡¨ Shiho said, giving him a confused look. What was he talking about? She¡¦d never had a sister. Maybe he didn¡¦t know her after all, but no, he had too. That feeling she had was just too strong. She knew she had known him, but that was all.

Shinichi stared at her. She may have been able to forget him, but she couldn¡¦t have forgotten her sister. This wasn¡¦t natural. Shiho betrayed the Organization because they killed her sister. She would never forget her sister. He was about to ask her about her sister, then remembered that they were still out on the street. Anyone in the Organization could walk past and see them. See him and the girl with red hair.

¡§ Come on, let¡¦s get something to drink.¡¨ He pulled her toward a small coffee shop, just wanting to get off the street. Shiho was surprised, but she let him pull her along. She didn¡¦t know why, but she trusted Shinichi. She knew he wouldn¡¦t hurt her.

They walked into a small coffee shop and sat down. A waiter came to take their order. Shinichi was annoyed, because he just wanted to talk. Shiho, however, thought they were really there to eat, and ordered some coffee and cake. The waiter began to write down her order, and then found that his pen had run out of ink.

¡§ Would you like to use mine?¡¨ Shiho inquired with a smile, offering a slim, white pen to the waiter.

¡§ Thank you, Miss.¡¨ The waiter accepted the pen gratefully. Shinichi looked on in disbelief. Shiho might offer someone her pen, but she wouldn¡¦t smile at him or her. She must have really forgotten everything: APTX-4869, her sister, and the Organization. Ai had rarely smiled.

¡§ Why didn¡¦t you order anything, Kudo-kun?¡¨ Shiho asked after the waiter had left. Shinichi was still staring at her in disbelief, and was surprised to hear her speaking. He mumbled that he wasn¡¦t hungry, and she reminded him that it was his idea to come here.

¡§ What do you do, Kudo-kun? I know I¡¦ve heard your name before, I just don¡¦t know where.¡¨

Shinichi was about to tell her everything, but then stopped himself. Now that Shiho had forgotten everything, she was just a normal girl, and it would be too dangerous for her, just as it had been too dangerous for Ran. He couldn¡¦t tell her about them. Besides, he thought, she was happier without her memories. He thought of her smile again.

¡§ I¡¦m a high school detective. You might have heard of me on the news.¡¨ He finally told her. He expected her to start asking him about his cases, but her reaction wasn¡¦t what he expected. He heard her draw in her breath sharply, then, plates, cups and silverware crashed to the floor as she frantically ran out, knocking everything off the table.

¡§ No, no, no!¡¨ she cried. Shinichi watched as she blended into the crowd outside, then shook his head in astonishment. Glancing on the floor, he saw her white pen. He smiled, and then bent down to pick it up so he could give it back to her when he saw her again. 


	5. Shoot him, Sherry

Shiho ran all the way back to her apartment after she left the coffee shop. Was Shinichi Kudo the high school detective Gin wanted to kill? Gin and Belmot were always talking about killing a high school detective. Was it Shinichi Kudo? She wasn¡¦t sure, but she knew she didn¡¦t want Shinichi to die. If he died, she would never find out about herself. Plus, he had been so nice to her. He had sounded really concerned about her. She reached her apartment and pulled open the door to find Gin, Belmot and Vodka sitting in the living room. They were all smoking, and a full ashtray lay on the table, almost overflowing with cigarette butts.

¡§ Stop that! I hate that smell.¡¨ Shiho yelled as she closed the door. She made sure the door was locked, and then turned around to face the three people sitting in her living room. Gin and Vodka ignored her and continued smoking, but Belmot reached in her purse and pulled out an unopened package of cigarettes. She offered them to Shiho. 

¡§ Would you like one, Sherry?¡¨ she asked with an amused expression on her face. She smiled at Shiho, and then started to unwrap the cigarettes. 

¡§ I don¡¦t want one. What are you doing here?¡¨ Shiho demanded, looking at Gin, Vodka and Belmot. She could sense that they were planning something, and she didn¡¦t want to be part of their plan. 

¡§ We¡¦ll talk about that later. I have to talk to Belmot first. Anyway, haven¡¦t we taught you not to question the actions of your elders?¡¨ Gin scowled at Shiho, then removed the cigarette from his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke in her face. Shiho coughed and went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of water. Gin turned back to Belmot, who was still wearing the amused expression on her face. 

¡§ You¡¦ll never believe who I saw today. I saw that meddlesome detective, Shinichi Kudo.¡¨ Gin crowed.¡¨ I should have killed him, but there were too many people on the streets.¡¨ Gin smashed what was left of his cigarette into the ashtray angrily. Vodka grinned and nodded. 

¡§ Don¡¦t worry, Gin. Why don¡¦t you leave him to me? I can take care of him.¡¨ Belmot declared as she reached into her purse for her lighter, preparing to light another cigarette. 

¡§ No!¡¨ Shiho screamed. There was a crash as the glass cup she was holding crashed to the floor. Glass shards littered the floor, and water was all over her feet, but she wasn¡¦t aware of it. ¡§ Leave him alone.¡¨ She cried as she rushed back to the living room. 

Gin, Belmot and Vodka shared a nervous glance. Belmot frowned and raised one eyebrow. Gin fingered the gun in his pocket and looked intently at Shiho. The blood drained from Vodka¡¦s face, and his mouth was slightly open. 

¡§ Sherry, do you know who Shinichi Kudo is?¡¨ Gin demanded. 

¡§ Yes, Gin, I met him on the street today. Please don¡¦t kill him, he¡¦d never hurt anyone.¡¨ Shiho begged, not understanding why Gin, Vodka and Belmot wanted Shinichi dead. 

¡§ Did he tell you anything?¡¨ Belmot asked sharply. 

¡§ No.¡¨ Shiho replied, surprised at Belmot¡¦s harsh tone. Belmot had never spoken to her this way before. Belmot and Gin sigh in relief when they learn that Shiho has learned nothing from Shinichi. 

¡§ Why do you want to kill him? What has he done wrong? Why must he die?¡¨ tears started running down her cheeks, and Shiho dabbed at them with her sleeve. ¡§ I don¡¦t understand.¡¨ 

¡§ Come on, now. Haven¡¦t we always taken care of you? We know what¡¦s best for you. If you don¡¦t hurt others, they¡¦ll hurt you. You don¡¦t have to understand, we do. I¡¦d rather hurt all the other people in the world a hundred times than have them hurt me. We¡¦re doing what¡¦s best for you.¡¨ Belmot told the crying girl. The sharpness in her voice was gone, and she sounded kind and caring. 

¡§ How will I benefit from Shinichi Kudo¡¦s death?¡¨ Shiho shouted. ¡§ Please, leave him alone.¡¨ 

¡§ You won¡¦t benefit, but we will.¡¨ Belmot thought. Before she could answer Shiho¡¦s question, Gin started talking. 

¡§ You don¡¦t want us to kill him, do you, Sherry?¡¨ Gin sneered as Shiho shook her head. He grinned evilly at Belmot and Vodka before turning back to Shiho. Shiho looked at Gin hopefully, thinking that they won¡¦t kill Shinichi after all. 

¡§ You won¡¦t kill him? Thank you, Gin!¡¨ Shiho started to smile. Vodka gaped at Gin and Shiho. Belmot crossed her arms coolly and turned to face Gin. Gin threw his head back and laughed loudly. He laughed for a long time, until Vodka asked him what he was laughing at. 

¡§ We won¡¦t kill him Sherry, we won¡¦t.¡¨ Gin repeated. He laughed again, and then pulled out the gun in his pocket. 

¡§ Shoot him, Sherry.¡¨ He threw the gun over to Shiho, and it clattered to the ground beside her. Vodka grinned; Belmot retained her cool expression. 

¡§ I won¡¦t! I can¡¦t!¡¨ Shiho kicked the gun across the room, and it bounced harmlessly against a chair. 

¡§ We won¡¦t tolerate this type of behavior, Sherry. We¡¦ve brought you up, and we won¡¦t let a stupid detective ruin you. I can¡¦t imagine what¡¦s wrong with you. What would your parents think? They would be so disappointed.¡¨ Gin said icily as he, Belmot and Vodka walked toward the door. ¡§ Oh, yes, and have that research done next time we come by.¡¨ He told her as he closed the door. 

¡§ Do you think she¡¦ll so it, Gin?¡¨ Vodka asked. 

¡§ Of course she will, that fool thinks we¡¦ve raised her and cared for her. And she wouldn¡¦t want to disappoint her parents.¡¨ Belmot announced. ¡§ Anyway, that detective should be a stranger to her. Why shouldn¡¦t she?¡¨ 

Shiho waited until the door closed completely, then picked up the ashtray and threw it as hard as she could at the door. 


	6. Red Hair, Black Heart

Shiho stood outside of Shinichi¡¦s high school, patiently waiting for school to end. Her hands tightly gripped the handles of a red paper shopping bag. The gun Gin had thrown at her the day before was in that bag. She tried to stifle a yawn, but couldn¡¦t manage to hide it. She hadn¡¦t been able to sleep at all last night. Belmot and Gin¡¦s words had haunted her until morning. At last, she gave up on trying to rest and got up. 

¡§ Those who support us proper; those who are against us die.¡¨ Both Gin and Belmot often said that phrase. Shiho didn¡¦t want Shinichi Kudo dead. She had no reason to kill him, and no reason not to kill him. Gin and Belmot had raised her after her parents had died and they had always done what was best for her. She had never disobeyed them before, but now she was having trouble accepting the fact that she was going to kill Shinichi Kudo. 

¡§ Shinichi, come on. Let¡¦s go home.¡¨ Ran said as she pulled Shinichi toward the door. 

¡§ Hey, Ran, wait a minute, I have to write down the homework assignments.¡¨ Shinichi told her as he pulled out a pen. He opened his notebook and began to write, then gave a start as he looked at the pen. It was Shiho¡¦s pen, the one she had left at the coffee shop. A little smile started to form on his face, and he quickly finished writing in his notebook. Then he turned and walked out of school with Ran, still holding the white pen. 

¡§ Shiho!¡¨ Shinichi cried when he saw her at the door. ¡§ What are you doing here?¡¨ 

¡§ I wanted to see you again, Kudo-kun.¡¨ Shiho lied, wishing she could be anywhere else on earth, wishing she wouldn¡¦t see him again, wishing Gin and Belmot hadn¡¦t told her to kill him. She gripped her shopping bag even more tightly as she tried to think of more lies to tell Shinichi. Then she saw her pen in his hand. ¡§ What are you holding? I think that pen belongs to me.¡¨ 

¡§ It¡¦s yours, you left it in the coffee shop. I wanted to give it back to you, but I didn¡¦t know where you went. Here.¡¨ He grinned as he held the pen out to her. Shiho wished he would just disappear, or at least be mean to her. How could she bear to kill him? 

¡§ Never mind, I¡¦ll give it to you. Keep it.¡¨ She told him with an empty smile. ¡§ Come with me.¡¨ 

¡§ What? Where do you want to go?¡¨ Shinichi asked in astonishment. 

¡§ No! Don¡¦t go away.¡¨ Ran grabbed Shinichi¡¦s arm and pulled him away from Shiho. She had a bad feeling, one that was similar to the one she had had that night at Tropical Land. She didn¡¦t want Shinichi to go with Shiho. 

¡§ Ran, don¡¦t worry. I¡¦ll be fine.¡¨ Shinichi assured her with a smile. He knew Ran was worried, but he was curious about what Shiho wanted. ¡§ I promise. See you tomorrow.¡¨ He smiled at Ran, then turned and followed Shiho. 

Ran felt a surge of anger quickly building inside of her. She was so worried, and Shinichi wouldn¡¦t tell her anything. All he could say was ¡§ I¡¦ll be fine.¡¨ What was wrong with him? That jerk acted like he couldn¡¦t even trust her, and she worried so much about him. And the red haired girl, she resembled Ai Haibara. Who was she? Shinichi obviously knew her, but Ran could guess how much he would tell her if she asked. ¡§ She¡¦s just a friend.¡¨ Shinichi would say, as if that could explain it all. Ran found herself thinking resentfully toward the red haired girl. Shinichi owed her an explanation, but he wouldn¡¦t tell her anything. She turned around and stomped home, wondering if Shinichi was worth her time at all. 

Shiho led Shinichi to an apartment building, and Shinichi followed her up to the roof in silence. Shinichi wondered what could possibly be up on the roof, but he didn¡¦t ask. When they reached the roof, Shiho walked over to the side and looked down at the world below. Shinichi didn¡¦t join her, but stood several feet away, waiting for her to speak. Shiho remained at the railing, and presently found hot tears forming in her eyes. The tears slid down one by one. She stared at the pearl-like drops helplessly as they fell down to the world below. She wished she could become a teardrop and follow her tears. After a while, she closed her eyes. Shinichi continued to wait, wondering when she¡¦d speak. Finally, Shiho took a deep breath, pulled the gun from the handbag, and pointed it at Shinichi. 

Shinichi gasped, then he understood. He looked at Shiho with blue eyes full of hurt, anger, and betrayal. He couldn¡¦t believe what was happening, and then he grew angrier and angrier because she had betrayed his trust. Shiho¡¦s eyes were full of tears and sorrow as she fumbled with the gun. She had the gun pointed at Shinichi¡¦s heart, but she couldn¡¦t bring herself to pull the trigger. She tried two times, but both times her fingers disobeyed her. On the third try, she pulled the trigger, but her hands were trembling so hard that she missed, and the bullet grazed Shinichi¡¦s left shoulder. Shiho knew she couldn¡¦t do it, and she threw the gun down, looking sorrowfully at Shinichi. 

Shinichi couldn¡¦t see past his own anger, and everything in front of him was just red. He didn¡¦t see Shiho¡¦s painful expression. He only saw that she had missed and dropped the gun. He knew he wasn¡¦t seriously injured, so he angrily walked over to Shiho. 

¡§ You¡¦re one of them, aren¡¦t you? Still? After all this time? You always were. You always had a black heart. You lied to me the whole time, right? Ever since the beginning. And I believed you. I trusted you. I¡¦m so stupid. I¡¦m such an idiot, such an idiot.¡¨ Shinichi shouted. Shiho looked confused, but Shinichi didn¡¦t give her a chance to say anything. He winced as blood from his wound started to stain his uniform red. He walked closer to Shiho, then drew back his right hand and slapped her across the cheek, as hard as he could. 

¡§ You¡¦re disgusting! I hate you, I hate you! You¡¦re the cruelest person on earth. Even Gin and Belmot can¡¦t compare with you. I never want to see you again. I don¡¦t even want to see your shadow, or hear your voice. Never!.¡¨ Shinichi yelled as loudly as he could. He couldn¡¦t believe he had ever trusted her, couldn¡¦t believe they¡¦d actually been friends. 

Shiho couldn¡¦t stand the force of the blow and fell over. Shinichi was breathing heavily as he carefully watched her. Shiho slowly sat up and spat out a mouthful of blood. Gin and Belmot were right. She had been weak. This detective would just hurt her. He¡¦d never tell her anything. She wanted to pick up the gun and kill him, but when she looked up at him, all she could see was the nice boy at the coffee shop yesterday, a yesterday that seemed like a million years from now. A tingling pain on her face reminded her of the slap, and her eyes cast a murderous glance at Shinichi. A chill suddenly went up his spine. Shiho stood up and glared at him, then leaned forward until their faces were no more than a few inches apart. 

¡§ I should have killed you.¡¨ She whispered in a voice full of hatred and contempt. She almost wished that she could kill him. She turned around, put her hand to her cheek, and quickly hurried off the roof. 


	7. Trust

Shinichi slowly walked toward his house. His shoulder hurt, and was bleeding freely, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. The pain of being betrayed by someone he thought he could trust was unbearable. All that time, he had trusted Shiho, but she had lied to him since the day they met each other. She had often been cold and distant to him, but at other times, she hadn¡¦t seemed that aloof. It was hard to believe that she was lying then too. Memories of time they had spent together began to fill his brain, and he quickly forced them out. He didn¡¦t want to think about them, or about her. He clutched his left shoulder and walked ahead blindly. He bumped into Professor Agasa as he walked toward his house, and fell back to the sidewalk because he was trying not to think about Shiho. It was the second time he had crashed into someone because of her. Luckily, this time it wasn¡¦t Gin. 

¡§ Shinichi, why are you in such a hurry? Oh! What happened to your shoulder?¡¨ Professor Agasa exclaimed as he noticed the wound. 

¡§ It was that traitorous criminal! She was lying all along.¡¨ Shinichi shouted, unable to contain his anger. All he could see in his mind was an image of a red haired girl pointing a gun at him. The image of the two of them on the roof was clear and vivid, but everything else concerning the two of them was unclear, as if those memories were shrouded by mist. 

¡§ What? You mean Ai? Here, let¡¦s talk about it in my house.¡¨ Professor Agasa cast a furtive glance up and down the street as he said this. Shinichi nodded, and Professor Agasa led him into his house. He unlocked the door, and led Shinichi into the living room. 

¡§ You say Ai shot you? I don¡¦t believe it!¡¨ the Professor declared. He couldn¡¦t believe Ai would shoot anyone. She had lived with him for quite a while, and he had come to trust her and begin to treat her like his daughter. When he looked at Shinichi¡¦s expression though, he knew it wasn¡¦t a joke. His mouth dropped open. ¡§ This¡K¡¨ 

¡§ Professor, can you look in my book bag and find my handkerchief?¡¨ Shinichi asked as he felt more blood spurt out from his wound. 

¡§ Sure. Sorry I don¡¦t have any bandages.¡¨ Professor Agasa apologized as he started looking in Shinichi¡¦s book bag, while Shinichi started to tell him angrily about what had happened that day. 

¡§ Professor, she lied to us all along. She never betrayed them. It was all a lie.¡¨ Shinichi started. 

¡§ That¡¦s impossible, I don¡¦t believe it.¡¨ Professor Agasa still couldn¡¦t believe that Shiho would willingly shoot Shinichi, even though he could see the wound on his shoulder. 

¡§ Believe me. After school today she took me to the rooftop of some apartment building and shot me.¡¨ Shinichi said shortly, not wanting to talk about the details or the other two times he had seen her since she¡¦d left. 

¡§ here, Shinichi. I found it.¡¨ Professor Agasa said as he handed Shinichi the handkerchief. Just as he was about to close the book bag, his eyes fell on a white pen. It was the pen Shiho had given Shinichi that afternoon. ¡§ Eh, what¡¦s this? Is this yours Shinichi? I t looks like a girl¡¦s pen.¡¨ 

¡§ It¡¦s mine, but I don¡¦t want it. Please keep it for me. Having it will just remind me of what a fool I¡¦ve been.¡¨ Shinichi scowled at the pen, and looked hopefully at Professor Agasa. 

¡§ All right, I¡¦ll keep it, but Shinichi, I think you should have more faith in Ai. Trust her. Maybe there¡¦s something she can¡¦t talk about.¡¨ The Professor agreed and put the pen on the table. He still believed Ai wouldn¡¦t shoot Shinichi voluntarily. 

¡§ I trusted her once. I was a mistake. I won¡¦t make the same mistake again.¡¨ Shinichi decided. He was still angry and hurt. ¡§ Professor, it¡¦s late. I¡¦ve got to be going home now.¡¨ 

Shinichi left, leaving Professor Agasa staring after him. He believed that Ai had shot Shinichi, but he also believed something else had happened, something neither he nor Shinichi knew about. He could understand Shinichi¡¦s feelings, but in his anger, Shinichi couldn¡¦t think rationally about Ai. Shinichi was letting his emotions control him. He hoped Shinichi would see that soon. 

¡§ Shinichi, you¡¦ve got to trust me. Why can¡¦t you tell me anything about your disappearance?¡¨ Ran demanded. School was over and they were walking home together. Shinichi had asked Ran to let him walk home alone, but Ran wouldn¡¦t hear of it. Shinichi had been unusually quiet all day; Ran hadn¡¦t even heard him say a single word. 

¡§ Ran, I¡¦ve told you before. I was working on a difficult case.¡¨ Shinichi told her in a hollow voice. 

¡§ How long do you expect me to believe that? Forever? I know there¡¦s something else. Why can¡¦t you tell me? I¡¦m tired of accepting your stupid explanations. I want you to trust me. I want the truth.¡¨ Ran screamed. Ran stared at Shinichi, waiting for him to speak. If he didn¡¦t tell her the truth, she didn¡¦t know if she could forgive him. 

Shinichi hesitated. He could tell that Ran was serious. He knew he really did owe her an explanation. However, he understood that it was really too dangerous to tell her. No matter what, Ran¡¦s safety came first. ¡§ It really was a difficult case¡K¡¨ 

¡§ Fine! I¡¦m through with you! I¡¦m sick of your lies.¡¨ Ran yelled, then she turned and ran away from Shinichi as fast as she could. 

Shinichi stared after her, feeling awful, thinking bitterly about lies and betrayal. 

Shinichi¡¦s phone rang. 


	8. Shot!

Shinichi sighed as he walked over to answer it, wondering what else could happen to him this week. Shiho¡¦s shooting and Ran¡¦s shouting involuntarily came to his mind. It was really hard to say which hurt him more, Shiho¡¦s betrayal or losing Ran¡¦s trust. He reached for the phone, wondering what news it would bring. It was Heiji. Shinichi smiled in relief when he heard his friend¡¦s voice on the other end. Unfortunately, Heiji was not the bearer of good tidings. 

¡§ Kudo, you¡¦d better come to the hospital. Ran¡¦s been shot!¡¨ Heiji exclaimed frantically. 

¡§ What? How could she have been shot? I was just talking to her after school.¡¨ Shinichi told him. Shinichi gritted his teeth. How could all of this happen in one week? He could feel the blood leave his face as he turned white and pale. 

¡§ How bad is it?¡¨ he asked weakly. 

¡§ It¡¦s bad. I¡¦m not a doctor, but I¡¦m sure it¡¦s not good. They¡¦ve put her in an intensive care unit, and we¡¦re only allowed to watch her through a glass panel. Come quickly.¡¨ Heiji urged. 

¡§ Okay. I¡¦m coming.¡¨ Shinichi agreed and quickly hung up the phone. 

Kogoro¡¦s cries of rage reached Shinichi¡¦s ears as he walked in the hospital. 

¡§ Who did this to my daughter? I¡¦ll make them pay for it!¡¨ Kogoro shouted angrily at the top of his lungs. Beside him, Eri was trying to silence him without much success. Heiji was standing on the other end of the panel, far from Kogoro. Kazuha was with him, and they were both peering into the room anxiously. 

¡§ Sir, we can understand your feelings, but please remember, this is a hospital. Please be a bit quieter. If not, you¡¦ll have to leave.¡¨ A nurse said. 

¡§ How is my daughter?¡¨ Eri asked as Shinichi came running up. Eri looked back into the room worriedly. Shinichi followed her glance, then ran up to the glass to have a closer look. He drew in his breath when he saw Ran looking so pale and helpless. Huge machines surrounded her, and an IV bag filled with a clear liquid was sending the liquid to one of her arms. Shinichi had never seen her looking so pale and weak. His hands trembles as he cupped them around his eyes for a better view. He felt lost and was unsure what to do, but he couldn¡¦t bear to look at Ran for another second, so he turned around. A sob escaped from Kazuha and she gripped Heiji¡¦s hand tightly. Then, they all turned around and looked at the nurse, waiting for her answer with bated breath. 

¡§ Well, she¡¦s in critical condition right now, but she appears to be stable. It¡¦s lucky none of the bullets hit any of her vital organs. Some came pretty close, though. There¡¦s nothing else I can really say, but it was lucky that she was brought to the hospital so soon. If not, I don¡¦t think she would be alive right now.¡¨ The nurse responded. 

¡§ Yes, I¡¦m glad she was brought here in time.¡¨ Eri declared thankfully. Heiji and Kazuha nodded in agreement. Shinichi and Kogoro were glad too, but they were still angry that Ran had been shot. Shinichi¡¦s blue eyes blazed angrily while Kogoro swore. 

¡§ Kogoro, if you want to stay, you¡¦ll have to be quiet. Please don¡¦t embarrass me and Ran¡¦s friends.¡¨ Eri snapped. Kogoro scowled, but shut his mouth. 

¡§ Nurse, can I ask you a few questions?¡¨ Shinichi inquired, hoping to get some clues so he could catch the person who did this to Ran. 

¡§ You can ask, but I¡¦m afraid there¡¦s nothing I can really tell you.¡¨ The nurse answered. 

¡§Please tell me everything you know.¡¨ Shinichi requested. 

¡§ A red haired girl called the ambulance and she was the one who rode here with Ms. Mouri. The girl and boy from Osaka were here because the girl skinned her knee and they needed some antiseptic. They identified themselves as friends of Ms. Mouri¡¦s and told us the names of her parents. We called her parents, and they only arrived a few minutes before you came.¡¨ The nurse said. 

¡§ A red haired girl? What red haired girl? Where is she?¡¨ Shinichi demanded. 

¡§ She¡¦s there.¡¨ The nurse turned around and pointed, then frowned. ¡§ She was here until the girl and boy from Osaka came. I guess she left.¡¨ 

Shinichi¡¦s head spun dizzily and he could feel the floor turn under his feet. He only knew one red haired girl. 

¡§ Was it her? Was it Shiho?¡¨ he wondered. 


	9. My Worst Enemy

Shinichi walked home slowly after seeing Ran at the hospital. He couldn¡¦t believe anyone would do such a thing to Ran. If Ran died¡K He didn¡¦t want to think about it. Heiji and Kazuha had gone back to the hotel they were staying in, Kogoro had gone back to the Mouri Detective Agency, and Eri had decided to spend the night at the hospital. It was raining, and it seemed as if the sky was crying for Ran, just as her friends and family were worried for her. Why had Ran been shot? She didn¡¦t know anything, and she was so innocent. There was no way Ran could have ever done anything bad enough for someone to want her dead. Shinichi was positive of that. Ran would never hurt anyone, or even anything. A picture of Ran in the hospital appeared in his mind. She really was like an orchid, lovely, ethereal, and fragile. Normally, there was strength in her too, but now all of it was gone, drained away. Ran¡¦s life was so precious; Shinichi didn¡¦t want to think about what would happen if the orchid were killed just as it was beginning to bloom. Anger surged through him as he thought of Ran¡¦s condition. It was so unfair. Ran didn¡¦t deserve this.

Raindrops continued to fall from the dark sky, and a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed and lit the sky. In the flash of light, Shinichi was able to see someone lying on the street in front of him, and he hurried over to check on it. A figure was huddled on the street, wet and unconscious. Somehow, he didn¡¦t need any light to know that the figure had red hair. His eyebrows knit together as he frowned. He was tempted to leave Shiho on the street, she was a criminal, but he knew he couldn¡¦t do that. He couldn¡¦t leave anyone out on the street on a night like this, not even his worst enemy. What she had done to him didn¡¦t matter, he knew he couldn¡¦t stoop that low. He sighed. At least it wasn¡¦t that far to his house.

Shiho¡¦s eyes opened. At first, everything speared to be a blur to her, but gradually, she was able to focus. She looked around her, but was unable to figure out where she was. She slowly sat up and pushed the covers away from her; she was on a bed. There was no sign of anyone else in the room. She got off the bed and walked unsteadily to the door. She reached out for the doorknob and was about to turn it when the door was flung open and Shinichi walked into the room as Shiho fell back in surprise. Shinichi walked over to help her up, but Shiho slapped his hand away and used a chair beside her to pull herself up.

¡§ You¡¦re finally up.¡¨ Shinichi observed coolly as he moved in front of her.

¡§ You saved me?¡¨ Shiho asked in disbelief. Her eyes burned coldly and she tried not to look at Shinichi.

¡§ You were unconscious on the street. If I hadn¡¦t saved you, you¡¦d still be out in the rain right now.¡¨ Shinichi informed her.

¡§ I wish you hadn¡¦t. I don¡¦t want to see you again.¡¨ Shiho snapped. ¡§ Why did you save me?¡¨

¡§ I couldn¡¦t leave someone out on the streets to die.¡¨ Shinichi scowled.

¡§ I¡¦m not like you. I don¡¦t care about justice or being honorable. I don¡¦t care about what¡¦s right or what¡¦s wrong. I just follow my heart.¡¨ Shiho told him. ¡§ You¡¦ll regret saving me, you know.¡¨

¡§ Follow your heart?¡¨ Shinichi repeated blankly and sarcastically. Then, he started yelling at her furiously. ¡§ You¡¦re insane! What did your black heart tell you to do? Join a criminal organization, make drugs to ruin people¡¦ s lives, kill me? Do you have a heart at all? What¡¦s wrong with you? How can you harm so many people? They¡¦re not objects, they have lives, feelings, you know. You kill them just as easily as shredding a sheet of paper, just ripping it apart! You tell lies just as easily as you breathe! Where is your heart?¡¨

¡§ Fine! You¡¦re right! I¡¦m just a filthy criminal! I don¡¦t have a heart! If I do, it¡¦s black. You don¡¦t care if I¡¦m dead or alive, it doesn¡¦t matter to you! I like to tell lies, and I love killing people. No matter what I say to you, you shouldn¡¦t believe me. If I get killed by someone, it would serve me right.¡¨ Shiho screamed. She didn¡¦t know what he was talking about when he said ¡§ criminal organization¡¨, or ¡§ making drugs¡¨, and he was the only person she¡¦d ever tried to kill. She didn¡¦t care, though; he didn¡¦t have any right to yell at her like this. She couldn¡¦t believe she¡¦d ever hesitated to kill him, and she wished he were dead, but somehow she knew that even if she had another chance to kill him, she still wouldn¡¦t be able to do it. She sat down weakly on the bed.

Shinichi stared at her. He couldn¡¦t believe she was admitting it to him. Then she had been lying to him the entire time. She had never betrayed the Organization; she had always been part of it. She was so loyal to the Organization; she had been willing to take APTX-4869 to find out if he were still alive.

¡§ You really want me dead that much?¡¨ he asked hoarsely.

¡§ Yes. I hate you!¡¨ Shiho shouted. ¡§ I¡¦m leaving now.¡¨

¡§ Wait. If you want to leave, I won¡¦t try to stop you, but there¡¦s something I have to find out.¡¨ Shinichi cried as she walked past him. Shiho ignored him and continued to walk. Shinichi grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. Shiho tried to pull away, but Shinichi¡¦s grip was too tight. ¡§ You sent Ran to the hospital, didn¡¦t you? That red haired girl was you, right?¡¨

¡§ Yes, it was me. Can I go now?¡¨ Shiho demanded as she tried to pull away again.

¡§ Thank you. You saved her life. Do you know that?¡¨ Shinichi felt all of his hostility towards Shiho vanish when he learned that she had saved Ran¡¦s life. He realized that if she really didn¡¦t have a heart, she wouldn¡¦t have saved Ran. But after what she¡¦d just said, he didn¡¦t really know what to believe.

¡§ You don¡¦t have to thank me. No matter what you believe, I can¡¦t just let a girl I don¡¦t know die on the street.¡¨ Shiho said icily. She managed to shake Shinichi¡¦s hand off and calmly walked back out into the rain.

¡§ Did she really lose her memory? Or is she just a great actress?¡¨ Shinichi asked himself, wondering why she had been unconscious on the street at all. How could she have lost her memory?

¡§ Wait! Do you know anything about what happened? I mean, why she got shot?¡¨ Shinichi inquired.

¡§ No. Ask her when she gets up.¡¨ Shiho coolly replied.

¡§ One more thing.¡¨ Shinichi told her.

¡§ What is it now?¡¨ Shiho wondered impatiently.

¡§ It¡¦s raining awfully hard. Take this umbrella.¡¨ Shinichi handed her a black umbrella.

¡§ Thanks.¡¨ Shiho said grudgingly as she snatched the umbrella. She opened it and walked away into the darkness. 


	10. I'll Never Forgive Her

¡§Ran, please get better soon. You have to. I know you will. After you get better, you¡¦ll come to Osaka and visit me, right?¡¨ Kazuha asked her unconscious friend. Ran was a little better now, but she was still unconscious. She had been moved out of the ICU, and now she was allowed to have visitors. Kazuha and Eri were sitting on either side of Ran¡¦s bed, taking turns talking to her. There was an armchair in that room, and Shinichi was sitting on the chair, while Heiji sat on the armrest. 

¡§Good thing Ran¡¦s a lot better now!¡¨ Heiji exclaimed cheerfully. Shinichi just nodded his head. He was relieved that Ran was recovering, but every time he looked at her lying weakly on the hospital bed, the desire for revenge swept through him again. A frown appeared on his face, and his moody blue eyes got deeper and darker. He scowled and wondered where he could get clues now. Shiho had said she didn¡¦t know how Ran got shot, and for some reason, he believed her. Maybe because she had saved Ran¡¦s life, or perhaps he just wanted to believe her. Speaking of Shiho, she was acting quite weirdly, nothing like the red haired girl he knew. There was no time to worry about her though. If only he could get a clue¡K

¡§If Ran would wake up, we could ask her what happened.¡¨ Shinichi stated gloomily. He looked over at Ran and silently willed her to awaken. But of course, nothing happened. ¡§Please get up, Ran.¡¨ He begged silently.

¡§Hey, Kudo.¡¨ Heiji smiled, his eyes were shining. ¡§I know a clue.¡¨

¡§What?¡¨ Shinichi asked. He looked at Heiji curiously. 

¡§Admit I¡¦m the better detective.¡¨ Heiji prompted, folding his arms across his chest and looking playfully at Shinichi.

Shinichi sighed loudly. ¡§Okay, I admit it. Only if your clue is any good though.¡¨ 

¡§Heiji giggled happily. ¡§It¡¦s the red haired girl! How could you forget her? She¡¦s the best clue!¡¨ 

Shinichi couldn¡¦t help but feel more cheerful at his friend¡¦s enthusiastic behavior. ¡§Sorry, Hattori, seems like I¡¦m the better detective after all. I talked to her the day after Ran was shot. She didn¡¦t know anything.¡¨

¡§What? You started investigating without me?¡¨ Heiji asked in mock disbelief. ¡§No wonder you didn¡¦t pick up any clues. You were too upset. You need my help.¡¨

¡§Heiji, don¡¦t yell so loudly. Remember, this is a hospital. Don¡¦t scare Ran!¡¨ Kazuha shouted. Eri looked up, shocked. Shinichi stared at Kazuha with surprise. Heiji just rolled his eyes. 

¡§Who¡¦s scaring someone, Kazuha?¡¨ he asked, looking at Eri¡¦s expression with a grin.

Kazuha looked at Eri bashfully. ¡§Sorry.¡¨ She said guiltily. Eri smiled at her and nodded. Kazuha scowled at Heiji. ¡§If you¡¦re going to be so noisy, go outside, Hattori.¡¨ 

¡§Fine, come on, Kudo, Let¡¦s go.¡¨ Heiji said. ¡§Tell me about this red haired girl.¡¨ He grabbed Shinichi¡¦s arm, and they walked towards the door, right into Kogoro, who was walking in.

¡§How dare you! You idiots! My daughter is injured, and you two are talking about seeing some other girl?¡¨ Kogoro screamed as he grabbed for Shinichi¡¦s arm.

Heiji and Shinichi both looked at Kogoro angrily. Heiji pushed Kogoro away as Shinichi looked on in disgust. ¡§We¡¦re trying to find out who shot Ran!¡¨ Heiji angrily shouted at Kogoro.

¡§Why you little¡K¡¨ Kogoro screamed, but Eri shot him a venomous glare. ¡§Kogoro, behave yourself.¡¨ Kogoro shook his fist at the boys, scowled, and hurried to Ran¡¦s side. Heiji and Shinichi looked at each other, shook their heads, and went out into the hall, where Shinichi began to tell Heiji about Shiho. 

¡§What?¡¨ Heiji roared in disbelief when Shinichi had finished. ¡§Shinichi, you¡¦re way too trusting. She¡¦s a criminal.¡¨

¡§Heiji, she saved Ran¡¦s life. If she were really that bad, she wouldn¡¦t have saved Ran¡¦s life.¡¨ Shinichi said.

¡§She probably had her own reasons for doing that. I¡¦ll bet it wasn¡¦t out of concern for Ran. She might have been the one that shot Ran in the first place.¡¨ Heiji screamed.

¡§I don¡¦t think she was lying.¡¨ Shinichi insisted.

¡§Come on, it¡¦s just too coincidental. Ran is shot and who sends her to the hospital? That criminal. Who shows up unconscious in the street? She does. Is it just me, or is this just all a little too coincidental?¡¨ Heiji shouted.

¡§But why hurt Ran?¡¨ Shinichi wondered.

¡§Simple. She hates you, and she knows she can hurt you by hurting Ran.¡¨ Heiji told Shinichi.

¡§But she¡¦s lost her memory. She doesn¡¦t know anything.¡¨ Shinichi objected. 

¡§It¡¦s all an act! She¡¦s lying to you! She probably thinks you¡¦re the world¡¦s biggest idiot. It¡¦s all an act.¡¨ Heiji yelled as he grabbed Shinichi¡¦s shoulders and started shaking them. ¡§Jail¡¦s too good for people like her.¡¨

¡§She might have hurt Ran?¡¨ Shinichi asked dizzily, as Heiji let go. Heiji nodded, thinking that Shinichi was finally seeing the obvious truth.

¡§It¡¦s a possibility, it sounds like something she would do to me.¡¨ Heiji stated.

¡§If she hurt Ran, I¡¦ll get her.¡¨ Shinichi shouted as Heiji¡¦s idea dawned on him. ¡§I¡¦ll never forgive her!¡¨

¡§Are you Mr. Kudo?¡¨ a nurse asked as she walked up. 

Shinichi nodded. 

¡§A man dressed in black told me to give you this letter.¡¨ The nurse said, handing a letter to Shinichi. Heiji¡¦s eyes widened. Shinichi and Heiji exchanged a look, and then Shinichi reached out and took the letter.


	11. A Letter

Shinichi Kudo:

If you want to find out more about your girlfriend being shot, meet me aboard the _S.S Victoria_ this Sunday at 2:00. The person who shot her will be on the ship. Can you catch them?

The letter was unsigned.

¡§_S.S Victoria_?¡¨ Heiji asked. ¡§What a coincidence!¡¨

¡§Why?¡¨ Shinichi inquired. He could hear his heart beating faster as he clutched the letter tighter and tighter. A determined glint appeared in his eye.

¡§Kazuha and I are here in Beika because someone mailed Dad a letter about receiving mail from KID, the Phantom Thief. According to the letter, this person has a fabulous collection of jewels, and KID wants to acquire it. For some reason, there wasn¡¦t one of KID¡¦s mysterious clues. Anyway, Dad was on a case, so I decided to come and check it out. And then, Kazuha found out, so I had to bring her.¡¨ Heiji rolled his eyes, but his cheeks turned a little red. Shinichi noticed, but he smiled and said nothing.

Shinichi nodded. ¡§But what does this have to do with the ship?¡¨ he asked. 

¡§Oh, I forgot!¡¨ Heiji exclaimed. ¡§That¡¦s where KID is supposed to take the jewels.¡¨ 

¡§I thought you said there weren¡¦t any clues.¡¨ Shinichi objected.

¡§Yeah, I know. The guy just said he knew that¡¦s when KID was taking the jewels. He didn¡¦t even tell us his name, he just said he¡¦d meet us on the boat.¡¨ Heiji explained. 

¡§How do you know it¡¦s a man?¡¨ Shinichi asked.

Heiji shrugged. ¡§Detective¡¦s instinct.¡¨ He offered with a grin.

¡§Doesn¡¦t it seem more like a woman to worry about jewels?¡¨ Shinichi inquired. Then, suddenly, his cheerful expression changed, and he flopped down on a chair beside him and buried his face in his hands. 

¡§What should I do?¡¨ Shinichi mumbled.

¡§Huh?¡¨ Heiji started, shocked at the sudden change of topic. ¡§What should you do about what?¡¨

¡§Ran. What should I do? I want to work on the case, but I don¡¦t think I should leave her when she just got shot because of me.¡¨ Shinichi looked at Heiji, wanting Heiji to give him the right answer and tell him the right thing to do.

Heiji hesitated. ¡§Well, I don¡¦t know. She is getting better, you know. Kogoro and Eri are going to be with her, and this case sounds like you could find out something about the Organization, you know. I think if Ran were awake, she¡¦d want you to go and find out who shot her.¡¨

¡§What if she just thinks that I¡¦m putting cases ahead of her?¡¨ Shinichi asked. 

¡§She won¡¦t.¡¨ Heiji said, but now he was unsure too. ¡§If you love a person, they¡¦ll always be with you. Even if they¡¦re not right here beside you, they¡¦ll always be in your thoughts.¡¨ 

¡§Do you really think so?¡¨ Shinichi asked.

¡§Yes. Come with me on the case. It¡¦ll all be fine.¡¨ Heiji urged.

Shinichi finally smiled. ¡§Okay. Count me in. You and Kazuha can stay at my house, and we¡¦ll leave on Sunday.¡¨

On Sunday, Heiji, Kazuha, and Shinichi were at the dock, waiting for the _S.S Victoria_ to arrive. 

¡§Are you sure this is when the ship is coming?¡¨ Kazuha asked over the blustering winds. ¡§You better be sure, Heiji. I don¡¦t want to be standing out here for nothing.¡¨

¡§Shut up. Of course I¡¦m sure.¡¨ Heiji retorted. 

Shinichi smiled as he listened to his friends squabble over the arrival time of the ship. His mind was on other things, though. What was the Organization planning? Why had they called him here? Who was involved? Gin and Vodka, maybe Belmot, and Shiho¡K she was definitely involved. What was she doing? How had she rejoined the Organization? Why was she doing this? He couldn¡¦t believe that he had ever trusted that girl. He had thought they were friends, and he had risked his life to save her more than once. He found himself wondering if he would save her again if she were in danger.

¡§Kudo, hey Kudo! Wake up! The boat¡¦s here.¡¨ Heiji laughed cheerfully. ¡§Come on, let¡¦s get on the ship. Come on, Kazuha, hurry.¡¨

¡§I¡¦m coming!¡¨ Kazuha snapped. She reached down to grab her bags, but she found that Heiji had already picked them up for her. Unconsciously, a little smile formed on her face and her cheeks grew warm. She wanted to thank him, but foe some reason, she found that her mouth wouldn¡¦t open.

¡§Don¡¦t just stand there, Kazuha, go!¡¨ Heiji yelled.

With that, the three friends walked up the stairs and onto the ship.

¡§Okay. Let¡¦s see. I¡¦m in room 210.¡¨ Heiji announced, looking at his ticket. ¡§Kazuha, you¡¦re in room 211. Where are you, Kudo?¡¨

¡§Um¡Koh. My room¡¦s pretty far from yours. I¡¦m in 221.¡¨ Shinichi answered.

¡§Well, Why don¡¦t we all go to our rooms, unpack, and rest? We can all meet in the dining room at 5:00 for dinner. Is that alright?¡¨ Kazuha asked.

The boys nodded, and everyone headed off to their own rooms.


End file.
